3. Understand What You Have
It is helpful to begin with an analysis of each school campus and the outdoor programs and uses currently in place at each school. The Schoolyard Start-up Toolkit has step-by-step instructions to create a school-level plan for outdoor outdoor learning during the pandemic. You may opt to use that toolkit at each school or follow the process below.
Inventory Each Campus
Begin with campus site assessments. An outdoor learning team member can tour each schoolyard with a teacher or principal to inventory the assets and challenges on each site. Look for existing shade, seating, and gardens as well as available spaces with the potential to support outdoor learning. Download the Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies document and use our Campus Assessment Tool and Augmented Reality Tool to help visualize what outdoor learning could look like on your campus.
Durham Public Schools in North Carolina describe their site assessment process in this case study that also includes valuable lessons learned as they set up their district-wide outdoor learning program.
Assess Staff Interest
Survey staff — teachers and administrators — to assess the interest, comfort, and expertise that already exists around outdoor learning. As you get started, it is important to accurately understand who is truly open and ready to dive into outdoor learning and use outdoor spaces in the short term and long term and who needs more time and/or information to get on board.
© Green schoolyards America
This tool allows you to visualize outdoor learning on your campuses by overlaying scaled seating and shelter configurations onto an image of your schoolyard. Find the web-based Augmented Reality Visualizer in our library or look for the iPhone app Spacings in the App Store (created by Sean Corriel).
Shortcuts Through the District Pathway
Consider Your Focus: Why Learn Outdoors — children’s health, equity, the environment, long-term change
Include All Voices — gather a team, know your community, clarify your goals
Understand What You Have — inventory each campus, assess teacher interest
Decide What You Need — prioritize comfort, create demonstration sites and pilots, streamline with pre-approved furnishings, consider all needs
Implement Your Program — support administrators, facilities, and maintenance, support teachers, integrate outdoors into curriculum, establish systems, plan for care, consider funding sources, assess and learn
CREDITS
This article is based on the vast experience, wise advice, and generous contributions of:
Ghita Carroll — Sustainability Coordinator, Boulder Valley School District, Colorado
Yalda Modabber — Executive Director, Golestan Education, California
Dan Schnitzer — Project Manager, Sustainability and Capital Improvements, Durham Public Schools, North Carolina
Brooke Teller — STEM Coordinator, Portland Public Schools, Maine
Sam Ullery — School Gardens Specialist, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia
Katie West — Outdoor Learning Coordinator, Portland Public Schools, Maine
Andra Yeghoian — Director of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability, San Mateo County Office of Education, California
and written by Nancy Striniste of Green Schoolyards America with support from Ida Li and Lauren McKenna.
National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative
The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative supports schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective solutions to increase physical distancing capacity onsite and provide access to abundant fresh air. The Initiative seeks to equitably improve learning, mental and physical health, and happiness for children and adults using an affordable, time-tested outdoor approach to keeping schools open during a pandemic.
